The Noida Metro Rail Corporation and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation signed an MoU with regard to the maintenance and operations of the rail link on Friday.

The Noida-Greater Noida Metro link will have 21 metro stations in its network.(Mohd Zakir /HT Photo)

The 29.8km Noida-Greater Noida Metro link line will become operational from October, a Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) official said on Friday.

The NMRC on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), stating that it will oversee the maintenance and operations of the Noida-Greater Noida Metro link for the initial year of its operations.

The MoU was signed in the presence of DMRC director AK Garg and the NMRC managing director Alok Tandon and the other officials. Tandon said the operations on Metro link will start in October.

With work on the metro project complete, the stretch is likely to be operational by October this year

The 29.707-km metro link will connect Noida and Greater Noida areas with rest of the Delhi-NCR.

Once this link is operational, one can seamlessly travel to IGI Delhi and other parts.

This link will recycle waste water and depend on solar power

All stations on the longest line to be operational at one go will have rainwater harvesting system to recharge groundwater table

The 30km Noida-Greater Noida link is estimated to have a ridership of 1.2 lakh a day which will rise to 4 lakh by 2031, as per the detailed project report.

The DMRC has received five trains and six more are on its way.

The NMRC was formed on November 14, 2014, and it owns this Rs 5,503 crore project (including land cost). The NMRC, in 2015, had roped in the DMRC to construct the link on May 25, 2015.

“We have signed an MoU with the DMRC for operations and maintenance for the initial one year as our staff are yet to gain the expertise in maintenance and operations. We will complete the trials and procure all required clearances by September-end so that we can start operations in October this year. It will be the longest Metro line in the country to become operational at one go,” Tandon said.

According to the DMRC officials, for the time being, the 26-km stretch of Dwarka-Barakhamba is the longest to become operational at one go.

“We have finished work on small stretches so far. Once the line becomes operational Noida and Greater Noida areas will start enjoying seamless connectivity with the Indira Gandhi International Airport and other parts of Delhi-NCR,” said a DMRC official, who is not authorised to talk to the media, said.

The trail run is being conducted on a 23km stretch of link. In the next 10 days, we will start trials from end to end. Subsequently, safety inspections will be conducted so that we can get clearances by September and make way for operations in October,” Tandon said.

Officials said the 29.8km line is elevated and is at a height of 23 metres from the ground at the point where it crosses over the 165km Yamuna Expressway.

“The Delhi Metro has a track that is 25 metres above the ground in Dhaula Kuan. The Noida-Greater Noida track has an aesthetic look as the point where it crosses over the Yamuna Expressway,” a DMRC official said.

The DMRC will deploy a staff of 100 for the initial year of operations.

“We will pay Rs 3 crore annually to the DMRC for operations and maintenance. We will also pay the salaries of the DMRC staff of 100. Later, our staff will be trained to take over the operations,” Tandon said.